Mahmoud El-Khatib announces Al Ahly stadium project

Newly elected Al Ahly president, Mahmoud El-Khatib, has announced in a press conference on Sunday the team’s stadium project as promised in his campaign.

El-Khatib said on yesterday that he will hold a press conference on Sunday to reveal a surprise for the club’s fans and members.

He had promised in his election campaign that Al Ahly’s stadium construction will start in his reign and he has kept his promise, revealing that he has received the support of many Arab investors for the project.

El-Khatib has added that the president of Saudi Arabia’s sports committee, Turki Al Sheikh, has informed him that he has gathered other Arab investors and studied the project, before approving the stadium financing.

“I am proud to announce the project of the century and it’s building Al Ahly stadium to be among the top 10 stadiums in the world if not the best,” El-Khatib said.

“It was a beautiful dream and working on it well is what makes you achieve it,” he added.

The club have announced that the stadium will have 60,000 seats, which will make it the third largest stadium in Egypt after Borg El-Arab [86,000 seats] and the Cairo International Stadium [74,100].

It will be designed by Populous, the same architecture company that designed Arsenal’s stadium the Emirates and London’s famous Wembley Stadium.

Al Ahly’s fans were in desperate need of a private stadium as every season they play their home games at a different stadium, the Cairo International Stadium, Borg El-Arab, Petrosport or Al-Salam.

Youssef Wael is a massive Al Ahly and Manchester United supporter from Cairo, Egypt. One of the few Egyptians who never really wanted to have a career in football, just played it as a hobby. Wael also played squash for 7 years.